Thursday, October 07, 2010

Sports Break

Goodness knows that the politics aren't going away, so let's talk sports for a minute:

  • So Randy Moss is coming back to Minnesota. It's hard to say if this will help the Vikings or not. Much has changed in Minnesota since he left -- it's a different coaching staff and nearly the entire roster has turned over in the last 5 years. If I remember correctly, the only regular on offense who was here when Moss last played in Minnesota is Jim Kleinsasser. He'll have to get acclimated to the new regime in much the same way he would have if he'd been traded anywhere else. Moss is still a tremendous talent but he remains a problematic teammate. If the Vikings locker room is already fractious, and there is reason to believe it is, he could easily make things worse. But in the end, you can't blame the Vikings for making the move -- this is probably the last chance the current group has and they are already in a hole.
  • Meanwhile, it was an all-too-familiar scene across town as the Twins once again took an early lead against the Yankees, coughed it up in the middle innings and flailed away without effect against Mariano Rivera at the end. I think a lot of people are going to question Jesse Crain's effort, but it comes down to this: to beat the Yankees, you have to play flawlessly. The Twins have done some remarkable things this year but there's still a decided talent gap. If you compare the two teams, the only positions where the Twins have an advantage are at catcher and perhaps left field, but that's close -- I prefer Brett Gardner to Delmon Young in the field -- he probably saved the Yankees a run in the first inning with his speed, holding Denard Span to a single. It's going to be tough to beat the Yankees.

4 comments:

Night Writer said...

I think Randy Moss gets a bit of a bad rap. Yes, he has baggage and brought some of it into the league with him from his college days, and has done some questionable things, but overall he's less of a headache for fans and teammates than TO, Ochocinco, Steve Smith (the one with the assault record, not the one who plays for the Giants), Me-Shawn, Brandon Marshall and others who come to mind.

Moss strikes me as a proud, taciturn sort who doesn't put up with a lot of BS, but doesn't dish that much of it himself. If anything, he's probably too honest. He has authority issues for sure, but I think he's demonstrated that his resistance isn't directed at all authority on principle, but to those in authority who have earned his disgust or distrust. Yes, he'll kick against the pricks, especially if you've shown you're a prick. Personally, I would have done anything I could to get out of Oakland if I were in that situation. As for his time in MN and NE I don't recall him dissing (or beating up) his teammates, unlike a certain former Timberwolf widely loved and acclaimed for being a "competitor".

When you put it on the field, Moss will flat out beat you, even if he "takes plays off" (I can assure you I saw Cris Carter and Ahmad Rashad loaf and pout when plays weren't coming their way, but hey, they always "said" the right things). He's a knife at the back of any defense and I think his teammates appreciate that.

Bike Bubba said...

I hope you're right, NW, but I'm still warning the meter maids to watch out!

Night Writer said...

Here are some interesting comments from Belichek and some Patriot players about Mr. Moss:

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=5658579

Anonymous said...

First the Farve Experiment, and now Moss Mach II. There may be more, but there are now most definitely 2 prima donnas on the team, who feel that they don't need to put in the same amount of time and effort as everyone else from a practice perspective.

Ziggy has put forth a tremendous effort to have the Vikes win this year. The guess here is that it had better be this year, because next may be lockout city, and there is a potentially explosive environment personality wise if this team doesn't start winning.

We will see if this gamble pays off. Injuries and other factors may derail things as well. Just ask the Packers about injuries.